Thigh Exercise Workout
What Are the Thigh Muscles?
The thighs are made up of several muscle
groups. The front of the thigh is made up of a group of muscles called
the quadriceps - or "quads". The largest quad muscle is the
rectus femoris, the big muscle that runs down the center of the
thigh. The vastus lateralis is a large muscle running down the
outer thigh while the vastus medialis is a smaller muscle just
above the knee. The inner thigh muscles include adductor longus,
magnus, satorius and gracillis. The adductor longus
is the largest of these muscles. The adductor magnus is an inner thigh
muscle at the center-back of the thigh. This muscle is not used very much
in our normal daily activity and needs to be worked on to tighten and
tone the inner thigh.
What Exercises Should I Do For Thighs?
The inner and outer thighs - the abductors
and adductors - are the most difficult to tone as we do not use them in
our normal day-to-day activity. Specific exercises like Thigh
Crunches, Inner Thigh Squeezes
and Thigh Crossovers done
regularly will help firm and tone the inner thigh area. However, if general
muscle-toning is your goal, a total body workout that includes exercise-routines
for thighs and calves is better than doing too many thigh-only exercises.
Regular exercise like walking, jogging, running,
walking on a treadmill and cycling are all good fitness workouts that
strengthen and tone thigh muscles. The hamstrings are easy to damage and
should be stretched prior to doing your workout.
Can Thigh Exercises Improve Lower Body Shape?
The shape and size of thighs is genetic,
but you can reduce the size by a combination of diet and exercise. If
you have short thigh muscles you can't make them longer, but you can make
them leaner. Regular aerobic exercise together with specific exercises
that target the thigh muscles can make a significant difference to the
lower body. But remember: overworking these muscles can make them appear
bigger, so for a leaner look, be sure to spend 5 minutes stretching them
before and after your workout.
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